By Richard Pagliaro | Wednesday, October 22, 2025
Photo credit: China Open Facebook
Facing the full force of Jannik Sinner’s power can be disorientating.
In the final game today, Sinner wound up as if preparing for another damaging drive only to flick a forehand drop shot that left Daniel Altmaier nearly coming out of his shoes trying to change direction.
When Sinner wasn’t firing flamethrower forehands, he dabbed feather duster droppers dismissing Altmaier 6-0, 6-2 in a commanding Vienna return.
The 2023 champion Sinner scored his sixth straight Vienna victory setting up an all-Italian clash vs. 22nd-ranked Flavio Cobolli for a quarterfinal spot.
Continuing his indoor dominance, Sinner registered his 17th consecutive win on indoor hard courts, improving to 46-0 vs. opponents ranked outside of the Top 50 since the 2023 Cincinnati.
A masterful Sinner won 18 of 19 first-serve points and permitted just four points on serve in the entire match today. The level Sinner displayed today is virtually unbeatable against any opponent not named Carlos Alcaraz.
Highest performance ratings of 2025 so far (via @tennis_insights):
9.62 – Sinner (vs Ruud, Rome)
9.61 – Sinner (vs Altmaier, Vienna)
9.53 – Medvedev (vs Halys, Halle)
9.47 – Alcaraz (vs Nakashima, Tokyo)
9.42 – Alcaraz (vs Fritz, Tokyo)@janniksin #ErsteBankOpen pic.twitter.com/mBfbir4WAO— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) October 22, 2025
Today, Sinner blasted Altmaier into his forehand corner then often forced the German to try to defend his one-handed backhand on the run.
Altmaier owns a 2023 Roland Garros win over Sinner, but he needs time to generate his expansive backswings.
On Vienna’s quicker court, a suffocating Sinner gave the 27-year-old German no time to operate from the outset. Sinner threw down a smash for double break point and broke in the opener.
The Wimbledon winner was off and running. Sinner scored three straight breaks, winning an impressive 12 of 15 points played on Altmaier’s serve in the opening set.
The degree of difficulty deepened for the world No. 51 as Sinner smacked a backhand winner down the line for his third break and a 5-0 lead.
Even stretched beyond the singles sideline, Sinner conjured clever replies. A running Sinner flicked a one-handed backhand pass for 30-love, whipped an ace then closed an outstanding 22-minute opening set drawing an Altmaier error.
Altmaier hit a tough leaping smash and an ace to start the second set with his first hold.
That was a brief reprieve from the relentless Sinner onslaught.
The two-time Australian Open champion won 15 straight service points to start the second set.
Sinner drew three backhand errors from breaking for a 2-1 second-set lead. The Wimbledon winner threw down two smashes and a drop shot winner backing up the break with a love hold for 3-1.
Slashing an inside-out forehand winner, Sinner closed a commanding performance in 58 minutes raising his 2025 record to 44-6.
Earlier, former world No. 1 Daniil Medvedev cracked 18 aces and saved all four break points he faced defeating Nuno Borges 6-4, 6-7(7), 6-2 for his fifth straight win.
“It’s not easy to come from Asia,” Medvedev said. “It’s less about the courts, the balls, the racquet. It’s just about the general feeling. You’re a bit tired.
“I was just a tiny bit slow in my legs, but I was serving great and I’m happy to win because that’s the most important.”
Empowered by his run to his 21st career title in Almaty on Sunday, Medvedev will face his opponent in that final, Frenchman Corentin Moutet, for a place in the Vienna quarterfinals.
The left-handed Moutet crushed qualifier Damir Dzumhur 6-3, 6-0 in 67 minutes.
Former Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini blasted nine aces and did not drop serve in a 7-6(5), 6-3 victory over Alexei Popyrin. Berrettini, one of three Italians into the last 16 so far, will take on British left-hander Cameron Norrie next.
